Episode 320 - Session 9 (2001)

Brad Anderson is one of those directors that almost breaks out big but for some reason just hasn’t. But he has been pretty steady. He’s worked with some big names, both film and television. Performers such as Christian Bale, Halle Berry, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, among others have all worked with him. His film, The Call, actually was well received and made a good amount of box office. But it was his film, Session 9, that really got him noticed by genre fans.

In Massachusetts, the Danvers State Hospital, a sanitarium has remained closed for years. The town now wants to turn it into municipal offices, but before renovation, they need to have the building cleared of hazards, including asbestos. Gordon Fleming and his crew of four win the job and plan to do a three week job in one week to get a $10,000 bonus. While there, one of the crew discovers an old patient case tape of a woman from Lowell, Massachusetts who has multiple personalities. Soon strange things begin to occur, and each man’s personal life begins to seep not only into their work lives, but also with the history of the sanitarium.

By 2010, the film was already being listed as one of the best horror films of the new century. Though with time, it has had many competitors for the title of best of being the best of the century, the film still has held up well. Starring a number of well known character actors, the movie’s setting and ambiguous solution have given it a huge cult following. Dark Discussions takes a look at this chilling film and gives their take on the movie.